Ship construction



I. ELNIFF.

SHIP CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14. ms.

1,310,181. Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESS: INVENTOR.

TTORNEY.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co. WASHXNGTDN, D. c.

J. EL-NIFF.

SHIP CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 14, 191%.

1,81 181. Patented July 15, 1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS: Q5 INVENTOR.

4 77'. HA y TORNEY.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH cm, WASHINGTON D. c.

JOHN ELNIFF, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SHIP CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed November 14, 1918. Serial No. 262 15 1.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ELNIFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ship Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ship construction, and has for its object to produce a ship of such design from the waist to the stern, that eddy-making shall be avoided, water displacement be lessened and stability as regards lateral pitching or rolling and carrying capacity shall be increased as compared with a vessel of the same tonnage but of conventional design.

A further object is to produce a ship, which, with a given horse power, can be propelled at greater speed than a ship of conventional type and equal carrying capacity. A still further object is to produce a ship which can .be constructed atless cost and in less time than a ship of conventional deslgn.

More specifically, my object is to produce a ship of uniform width and substantially fiat bottom from the waist to the stern, the rear portion of the bottom at the stern being raised to a plane above that of the front portion of the bottom, suficiently to provide an underlying space for the accommodation and protection of a series of relatively small propellers and rudders; the top of the immersed portion of thestern, sloping downwardly and rearwardly to the aftextremity of the elevated portion of the bottom, said immersed portion having guards rising from the bottom at opposite sides of and to points above the immersed sloping portion, the latter serving to relieve the ship of the backpull of water and the guards to prevent lateral inrush of water onto the sloping portion from opposite sides thereof, particularly when the vessel is traveling at a comparatively slow speed.

With the objects named in view the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a side elevation of the rear half of a vessel constructed in accordance with my improvements t Fig. 2, is a central vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 3, is a top plan View of the same.

Fig. 1, is an enlarged rear view of the vessel.

Fig. 5, is a vertical section taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6, is a plan view of one of the rudders.

In the said drawings, where like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts, 1 indicates the rear half of a vessel embodying my design, which vessel from the stern 2,which is square, to the waist at or adjacent the point of. greatest width as at 8,- is of uniform width and thus provides for increased cargo capacity as compared with a vessel of conventional design which diminishes in width from the beam line to the stern.

The bottom of the vessel is substantially fiat, and is shown as composed of the portion 5 connected by a flat upwardly and rearwardly curving portion 6 with the rear portion 7 the latter being elevated sufliciently above the level of portion 5, to provide a space between the planes of portions 5 and 7, deep enough to accommodate a series of rudders and propellers, hereinafter identified. The portion 7 extends rearwardly a considerable distance beyond the upper or lower portion 2 of the stern, and the sides 4 are likewise extended to form vertical walls or guards 8, the upper edges of the said walls or guards 8 being of arcuate form and extending from the rear extremity of portion 7 of the bottom to a point slightly above the normal water level of the ship, and extending from one of said side guards to the other and from the aft extremity of portion 7 of the bottom to the upper or square portion of the stern at or near the water line, is an upwardly and forwardly sloping portion- 9. The top portion of the stern of the vessel for esthetic reasons chiefly, overhangs the sloping portion and follows to a certain extent the conventional lines of a vessel at such point, which being entirely above the water level may be of any desired configuration.

11 indicates a series of small propellers arranged under the elevated portion of the bottom and mounted upon suitably journaled driving shafts 12 extending into the vessel. Nine propellers are shown, but the number maybe varied. 13 indicates a pair of rudders secured rigidly upon the lower ends ofvertieal shafts 14k suitably journaled in casings or tubes 15 arranged vertically in the vessel adjacent the stern wall thereof, and said shafts are equipped at their upper ends with gear wheels 16 meshing with an interposed gear wheel 17 on a vertical shaft 18 adapted to be turned by any suitable power.

The vessel from the waist rearward as stated is of uniform width, by which is meant that it is of uniform width in any predetermined horizontal plane. Of course, it may be of uniform width at all points by making the sides vertical, but it is preferred to make the sides slightly curved and converging downwardly at a slight angle, as by so doing the ship is improved in appearance without sacrificing material space or its capacity for resisting lateral pitching or rolling.

When in operation and when loaded to capacity the water level will be approximately as indicated by the water level line in Fig. 1, and when. the boat is at rest the.

water will of course cover the sloping portion 9. When the boat is traveling at rapid speed there will be no water upon the sloping portion and hence no power is lost in pulling forward water to fill the displacement made by the boat, as is true with vessels of conventional design. lVhen the boat is traveling at slow speed there will be a tendency for water to rush inward over the sides of the sloping portion, and to prevent this the side guards 8 are provided.

The boat being of substantially full width from the waist to the stern is enabled to carry a much larger cargo than a boat of equal tonnage or displacement of conventional form, and it is likewise obvious that more space is provided for passengers.

It is estimated that a boat of the design of this invention is of less draft than a boat of conventional design and of corresponding tonnage, and that no space is wasted because no water ballast nor compartments for water ballast are necessary. It is furthermore obvious that less power is required to drive the boat at a predetermined speed than a boat of conventional design, because it has less draft and in proportion to its carrying capacity has smaller displacement.

A boat of this design will obviously do less rolling in a. heavy sea and is enabled to enter comparatively shallow harbors.

By using a plurality of small propellers arranged across the boat, certain of them can be driven in opposite directions simultaneously for cooperating with the rudders in effecting quick or short turns, and the raising of'the rear portion of the bottom and locating the rudders and propellers thereunder, protects said elements from injury from collision when in tow or entering or leaving a dock or if it runs on a sand bar.

It will, of course, be apparent that a ship of the design shown can be built much more quickly than a ship of the conventional type, as less skilled labor will be required.

I claim:

1. A ship substantially rectangular in cross-section from the waist to the stern, the immersed portion of the stern slanting upwardly and forwardly from the rear end of the bottom to; about the water level.

2. A ship substantially rectangular in cross-section from the waist to the stern, the immersed ortion of the stern slanting up wardly and forwardly from the rear end of the bottom to about the water level; the sides .of the immersed stern extending above the top thereof to form guards.

3. A ship substantially rectangular in transverse cross-section from the waist to the stern, the bottom at the stern being raised above the forward bottom and the top of the immersed portion of the stern slanting upwardly and forwardly from the rear end of the bottom toabout the water level, and propellers underlying the raised portion of the bottom.

4. A ship substantially rectangular in.

transverse cross-section from the waist to the stern, the bottom at the stern being raised above the forward bot-tom and the top of the immersed portion of the stern slanting upwardly and forwardly from the rear end of the bottom to about the water level the sides of the immersed stern extending upward beyond the top thereof to form guards, and propellers underlying the raised portion of the bottom.

5. A ship substantially rectangular in transverse cross-section from the waist to the stern, the bottom at the stern 'being raised above the forward bottom and the top of the immersed portion of the stern slanting upwardly and forwardly from the rear end of the bottom to about the water level; the sides of the immersed stern extending upward beyond the top thereof to form guards, and rudders underlying the raised portion of the bottom.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN ELNIFF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byeddressiflg the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 1 

